Transmission-control mechanism



9 1927. Aug c. COTTA TRANSMISSION CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, 1921. 1,638,149

c. COTTA TRANSMISSION CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 22, 1925 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 3! 27 Z 2nd Here/a;

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Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES GOTTA, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

, TRANSMISSION-CONTROL MECHANISM.

Application filed July 22, 1925. Serial No. 45,157.

This invention relates to change speed transmissions of the sliding gear or sliding clutch type especially adapted for use in may be obtained byoperation of a single control lever. This is especially desirable in connection with motor busses and trucks which handle heavy loads and require a larger range of propelling speeds than are needed with smaller or lighter vehicles. For this purpose it has been heretofore customary to provide either dual transmissions each having an independent control, or the so-called two range or multi-range transmissions having plural control levers. The present invention aims to provide control mechanism characterized by the use of a single control lever as aboveanentioned for operating transmission mechanism of the kind referred to. This single lever control not only greatly simplifies the operation and control of a motor bus or the like but it makes for greater convenience and safety. Anotherpurpose of-my invention is to provide mechanism of the kind described characterized by a single control lever which operates plural selectors in opposite directions in such order as to enable a comparatively wide range of gear shifting movements. In thepresent example I obtain with a single control lever five speeds forward and two speeds reverse, all of which are selective.

. Still another purpose is to provide a simple and practical organization of parts for performing the functions referred to.

. Other objects and. attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better under stood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a side elevation of a control en'ibodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a top viewthereof with the con-- trollever in section;

Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;.

Fig. 4, is a horizontal section taken sub stantially on the line 44 of Fig. l;

. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one embodiment of a gear transmission used in connection with my invention; and

Figs. 6 to 12 inclusive, are diagrammatic views illustrating the different speed changes. For purpose of clarity I will describe in order the construction shown of (1) the gear transmission, (2) the shifting mechanism, (3) control set, and (4) the operation. I

Gear transmission.

Referring to Fig. 5, the gear transmission shown is, in some respects, of a conventional type characterized by a driving shaft 13. a driven shaft 14, a counter-shaft 15, and gearing and clutches adapted for connecting these shafts in such order as to secure the desired changes in speed and direction. Said shafts are suitably journaled in a transmission case (not shown), shaft 13 in a bearing 16, shaft 14 in a bearing 17 a The counter-shaft has ai fixed gear 26 which drives the gear 27, loose on the driven shaft, through the agency of a reverse idler gear 27 for elfecting the reverse drive, as will be described later.

Gears 9.8 and 29 of relatively small and large diameter, loose on the counter-shaft. are in constant mesh with gears 31 and 32 respectively, splined on the driven shaft and adapted for transmitting variable speeds as will be presently described.

There are two clutch elements 33 and 34 splined or keyed so as to slide lengthwise upon and to rotate with the counter-shaft, each having clutch teeth adapted to connect and disconnect with complemental clutch teeth on the gears 24 and 25 respectively.

By the proper shifting of these clutch elements the counter-shaft may be driven at either a relatively low or a high'speed, as

will be obvious.

The gears 28 and 29 are equipped with clutch teeth 35 and 36 respectively adapted to connect and disconnect by shifting of said gears, on the counter-shaft with comple-c mental clutch teeth 37 and 38' respectively on a clutch element 39 keyed or otherwise secured, to; the counter-shaft. By the proper shifting of saith gears 28 and 29, either may be connected? to' thecoun'ter-shaft, as will be obvious, so as to (llilVG'lliSCOHlPlBlnBlltitl gear 31 or 32. Gear 31 has clutch teeth 41 adaptj ed to engage. complement'al clutch teeth 42 on: the gear 271;: and gear 32 has clutch teeth 43 adapted to engage complemental clutch teeth 44*on1the driving shaft '13'. By proper shifting'ofl the gearsfili and 32t-l18 gear 31' may be connected-2 to: the gear 27 while still in mesh with: the gear 28 t'o produce an intermediate speechandthe gear32 while still lDITlGSl'l with the gear 29 may connect the driving and driven shafts that produce the direct drive.

v p r Shifting mechanism. Thereflare three shift bars, 45, 46 and 47 for shifting the gears and clutch elements above describe'd", the shift barsbeing preferably arranged in parallelism in a common p-l'ane; Shift" bar 45-has fixed thereto forks 48'a1'1d49', whiclrengage the clutch elements 33'an'd 34 respective1y for shifting them on Shift bar 46 hasfixed' the counter shaft. thereto forks 51: and 52 which engage the gears 28 and 31 respectively for shifting them on their respective shafts.

Shift bar 47 isequipped with forks 58' and 54 which engage the gears QS) and 32i'espeetively for shifting them on'their'respective shafts. It

will heobserv ed that the shift forks are so.

arranged oirtheshift bars-that each bar will perform a disconnecting and aconnecting fiunctlon when shifted in eachchrectlon, as-

suming, oh course; that thebar is moved from an operative position as distlnguished' from the neutral position in which it is shownin Fig. 5. This and the peculiar ar rangement of theshift forks-are for the pur- [pose vofi securlng a determlned number of changes in speed and direction, which will he presently descnibed. 1

Bymoving? the shift. bar 45' to=the left, gear 24 will be connected tothe countersha-iftt to drive the latter at the low speed; and by. moving shiftibar 46 to the right,

gear 31 will be connected to=gear-27 todrive the driven shaft. through: the reverse idler and thusproduce low or first reverse.v The course offpowei transmission: resulting from this: operation .of: the shift. bars 45 and 46 is shown diagrammatically by the heavy line in'Figzfi. By moving bothsh-ift bars 45and- 46 to the right, gear :25 will be connected to the counter-shaft to drive the latter at.v the higher speed and gear 31 will. be connected to gear 27 as in the former case, thus producing the high speed reverse, or second reverse, as shown" diagrammatically in Fig. 7. Y V

The first speed forward is' obtained by movingbotlrshizft bars 45 and 46 to the left to drive the counter-shaft through the low range gear 24, as above: described, andto connect the gear 28 to the counter-shaft through the agency of the clutch element 39 to drive the driven shaft 14 through gears 28 and 2-31, asshown diametricallyin Fig. 8;

The second speed forward isobtainedwithout changing the position] of" the shift'har 46butby reversing the position of theshift bar 45, as shown in Fig. 9, whlch drives the counter-shaft at the higher speed. Thethird speed forward is obtained by moving the,

shift bar 45 to the left and the shift bar 47 tothe right", as shown in Fig. 10, to drive the counter-shaft through the low range gears and to move the gear 29into connection with the clutch element 39 on the countor-shaft so asto drive the driven shaft14 through the 'gearsQQ'and 32. To obtain the fourth speed forward the shiftv bar 47 re mains the-same as in thethirdspeed'position and the-shift bar 45 is ni'ovedtothe right to drive the counter-shaft 'at the higherspeed as indicatedin Fig. 11.

speed forward is produced with the shift.

bars 45 and 46 in neutral position, by mov ing the shift bar 47 to the left toconneot- Y the clutch teeth 43 and 44, as illustrated in Fig. 12. I I

Control.

' The control, or control set asit is 5501119 times termed, is shown in Figs-1 to 4 inclu sive and its function is to operate theshift. bars in the manner abovedescrihed to produc'o the five speedsfforward and two" re-; verse,thc salientfeature of the present" con-- trolbeing thatit'his is' accomplished by open ation of a single eontrolor hand lever. v

-The control is supported in a housing designated generally by 55 which may be lo-f cated in suitable relation to the transmission casing. In the base portion of this'housin'g are mountedtlireesli des 5'6, 5'7 and 58, in a @6118 control lever and the slide 56 which will be presently described. In the present embodimentpf my invention the cont-r01 lever is fixed to a shaft 64; which is suitably mounted in bearings in the housing 55 with capacity to be oscillated and shifted lengthwise therein by manual ope 'ation of said lever. The selectors 62 and 63 are fixed to the shaft 64 in the spaced relation shown in Fig. 4 and depend from the shaft in the same radial plane as shown in Fig. 3. Each selector is simply in the form of a lever arm the lower end of which is adapted to engage in a slot in one of the shift bar slides for moving the latter bael; and forth in its horizontal plane by forward and backward movement of the control lever, that is, by rocking the shaft 64. Said selectors are adapted to be moved into and out of the slots in the shift bar slides by lengthwise movement of the shaft 64: produced by lateral pressure on the control lever 61. .The selector 62 is adapted to connect with the slide 56 at either of two lengtl vise shifted positions of the shaft 64-. To this end the top of the slide 56 is recessed or grooved as at 66, defined by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and by both dotted and full lines in Fig. 4. v The side walls 67 and 68 of said slide are then transversely slotted at 69 and 79 for reception of the end 72 of the selector 62. Each slide 57 and 58 is transversely slotted entircly across as at 73 and 74 respectively, for reception of a similar end on the selector 63. The slide reversing connection referred to, and best shown in Figs. 8 and 4E, eomprises an arm 75 fixed to the shaft 64, in this case in the same'plane and at right angles to the selector 62, and abell crank lever 76 pivoted on the housing 55 at 77, one of its arms 78 having two aligned but separated bifurcated portions having slots 79 and 81 for reception of the arm 7 5, and the other arm 82 being pivotally connected at 83 to the slide 56. will be observed that the slots 79 and 81 in the arm 78 are located in different vertical planes taken transversely of the shaft 64 so as to be out of registration to allow-the arm 75 to register with said slots 7 9 and 81 at times when the selector 62 is out of the operative relation to the slots 69 and 71. The purpose of this is to shift the slide 56 either by the selector 62 when it is positioned in either the slot 69 or 71, or by the reversing connection just described when the arm 75 is moved into either the slot 79 or 81, as determined by shifting the shaft 6st lengthwise by manipulation of the control lever.

As a guide for the control lever and to determine the respective shifted positions thereof for the different speeds I have provided a cover plate s4 slotted as shown in Fig. 2. These slots permit movement of the control lever either forward or backward at Viewing Fig. 4-, it

the different lateral positions to produce speed changes and in one position the con trol lever may be shifted either forward or back to produce two changes. Suitable indicia are cast or impressed on the cover plate additional forward speeds.

Operation.

.As shown in the drawings, the parts are in a neutral position and suitable means such as spring-pressed detents (not shown) or equivalent means, well known in this art, may be employed for preventing accidental displacement of the control lever or any of the shift bars from this or any shifted position. To produce the first reverse speed the operator will swing the control lever 61 forward, that is, in a counter-e10ckwise direction. viewing Fig. 1, so as to move it into the slot 1 R. In this position the first selector 6?. performs no function because it is out of the slot 69, but the second selector 63 located in the slot 75 will move the slide 57 back- Ward and the arm 75, which is located in the slot '79, will actuate the bell-crank lever 76 to move the slide 56 forward. This moves the shift rods 45 and 4:6 in opposite direc- .tions and produces the first reverse speed,

shown in Fig. 6, as described above. After the cont-r01 lever has been returned to neutral it may be shifted laterally into alignment with the adjacent cover plate slots and may be shifted either forward into the 2 R slot or backward into the lislot. In this position of the control lever its first selector 62 is located in the slot 69 and its second selector 63 in the slot 7 3; consequently when said control lever is swung forward both shift bars d5 and l6 will be moved in the same direction, that is, backward or to the right, as shown in Fig. 7, to produce the second reverse speed, and .when swung backward both of said rods will be moved forward or to the left, as shown in 8, to produce the first forward speed. In this po sition the arm. 75 merely swings idly between theslots 7 9 and 81 in the bell-crank lever 7 6. The next lateral shifting of the control lever will bring it into alignment with the 2 slot in the cover plate which brings the arm 75 into the slot 81. of the reversing connection and leaves the second selector 63 in the slot 73 so that when the control lever is swung rearward the shift bars a5 and 46 will be moved in opposite directions to produce the second forward speed, as shown in Fig. 9. The next lateral shift of the control lever will bring it into alignment with the 3 slot in the cover plate, which leaves the arm 79 in the slot 81 and moves the second selecton 63- into the'sloti 740i the slide 58. Thus,

upon swinging-the control lever foinvard'the shift barsto and d7 will be-moved in oppo site directions to produce the third forward speed, shown in Fig; '10. In the fourth for Ward speed the first selector 62 ismoved into" the slot 7 1 in tllBSllClG 56 and the second se .lector 63remains in the slot 74 so thatwhen the" control lever is swung forward the shift bars and 4-? will he moved rearward to The produce the fourth forward speed. fifth forward speed or direct, is produced simply by moving the control lever laterally tothe last position in which only the slide 7 58: is shifted by the second selector 63 'en-- gaging inthe slot 74, inwhieh posit on both the first selector 62 and the reversing con- 1 n'ector arm 75 do not function! V It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above and while I have illustrated but a single'wor ting embodiment it should be understood that changes might be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and. scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims, in which .I clalmz 1. Controlmecl'ianisn'r for t ansi'i'iissions comp'rising,in combination, three shift bars,

a single control lever,and means operated by said control leverfor simultaneously mor ing plural'shift bars back and'forth' in the same direction or for simultaneously moving then'i in opposite directions.

9.111 combination, a change-speed gear transmission having shiftable gears or clutches adapted to produce two reverse speeds and five forward speeds,--shifting mechanism-for effecting said speeds including" three shifter bars, anda control hay- 'ing a single control lever for operating said bars, one separately or more than one simultaneously in either direction or opposite directions. t y 7 I 1- A control for 'changespeed transmissions comprising shiftahle speed changing elen'lents, a single manually operable control lever, and means operatedgthereby, includ ing' a direct motion-transmitting connection between said lever and elements anda reversing. mot-ioil-transmitting connection be tween said parts for effecting the speed changes.

4. A control for change-spced transmissions coi'nprisingshiftable speed cl'ianging elen'ients, a single control lever, and means operated thereby intermediate said lever an d said elements to connect the same for effect ing the speed changes, iiicluding a direct motion-transmitting connection and a re versing motion-transmitting connection.

5. A control for change-speed transmissions comprising plural shiftable speed changing elements, a single control lever,

and meansoperated thereby for effecting the speed cha'i'iges by shifting said elements including plural direct motion trtmsmitting connections adapted to be operated at each operation of said lever and a reverse motiontransniitting connection adapted to' beep-'- leer.

6.-In combination, a

ti nsinission having shiftable gears or clutches adapted for transmitting two reverse speeds and three or more forward e'ds, shit ing mechanism for producing change-speed gear ted at intermittent operations of'said" said speeds, and'a' control for said shifting.

mechanism comprising-a plurality of speed clic gingeleinents, a single control lever, and direct and reversing motioirtransmitting connections between said lever andsaid elements to be operated thereby. r T'HIhe combination of a change-speed;

tmnsinission having shiftable' gears or clutches adapted for producing. lowand? a: liigh range of speed changes; shifting? "mechanism for effecting said changes i'n-- eludingthree shift bars adapted to shift said gears or clutches; and a control for moving said shift bar's comprising a slide connected toeach shift bar, a single cont'rol'fl transmission having; shift'able clutches adapted for producinga low and a: high range of speed changes; shifting;-

m'echanism for effecting said changes in eluding three shift bars adapted to shiftsaid gears or clutches; and a cont rol for moving said shift bars comprisinga slide.

connected toeach shift bar, a single controllever, a first and: a second selector connected with said lever and adapted to be moved thereby into and out of operative relation with said slides and for moving the slides 15;? operation of the control lever, and a reversing mot rontransm1tt1ng connection adapted to be operated by said control lever for moving one of said slides when the first selector'is' out of operative relation there'- With.

The combination of a change-speed or transmission" having shiftable gears clutches adapted for producing a low and a:

high range of speed changes shifting'mech V anis m for 'effectii'ig said changes including three shift bars adapted to shift said gears or clutches; and a" control forinovi'ng said" shift bar's comprising a shaft mounted to oscillate and to he moved lengthwise, a'sin"' iither' of said movements, a firs-t and asset;- ond selector arm fixed to said shaft, thelfirst" selector arm being adapted to operatlvely en- 'gle control lever on said shaft for'imparting V V Cir gage one of said slides at different laterally shifted positions of said shaft and the second selector arm adapted for engaging either of the remaining slides at different positions of said shaft, and a reversing motion-transmitting connection for moving the first-mentioned slide including a part fixed to said shaft and adapted for making and breaking said connection at different lateral positions thereof. y

10. In combination, a change-speed trans mission having shiftable gears or clutches adapted for transmitting a low and a high range of forward and reverse speeds, shifting n'iechajnism having three shift rods for pro ducing said chai'iges, and a control for operating said shift rods comprising a single control lever, a first and a second selector directly operated by said lever for selective connection with said shift bars, and a reversing motion-transmitting connection between the control lever and one of said shift bars.

11. Control mechanism comprising, in combination, three shift bars, a single control lever, a first and a second selector directly operated by said control lever for seletive connection with said shift bars, and a reversing motion-transmitting connection between said lever and one of said shift bars.

12. Control mechanism comprising, combination, three shift bars, a single con trol lever, a first and a second selector directly operated by said control lever for selective connection with said shift bars, and a reversing motion-transmitting connection between said lever and one of said shift bars, said reversing motion-transmitting connection being rendered intermittently operative and inoperative in determined relation with the selective engagement of the first selector.

13. A control mechanism comprising, in con'ibination, a plurality of shift bars, a single control lover, a plurality of selectors directly operated by the control lever for selective connection with said shift bars, and a reversing motion-transmitting connection adapted for intermittent operations by said control lever foroperating one of said shift bars.

14. A control mechanism comprising, in combination, a" plurality of shift bars, a single control lever, a plurality of selectors directly operated. by the control lever for selectively moving said shift bars, one of said selectors being rendered operative and inoperative at different shifting operations of the control lever, and a reversing motiontransmitting connection between the control lever and one of the shift bars rendered op-- erative and inoperative in determined relation with the operative and inoperative position of said selector.

15. A control mechanism comprising, in combination, a plurality of shift bars, a single control lever, selector means directly operated by the control lever for selective connection with said shift bars, and a reversing motion-transmitting connection operated by the control lever for moving one of the shift bars simultaneously with and in a direction opposite from that of another shift bar operated by one of said selectors.

16. In a control mechanism for change speed transmissions, the combination with a transmission comprising driving, driven and counter shafts, a plurality of pairs of change speed gears connecting the driven and counter shafts, and two pairs of gears of relatively high and low ratio connecting the driving and counter shafts, of means for selectively rendering operative any pair of the change speed gears in combination, with either the relatively high or relatively low gear ratio pair, said means comprising a plurality of shift rods operatively associated with said gears, a single operating lever, selective direct motion transmitting connections between said lever and the shift rods for the change speed gears, and selective direct and reversing motion transmitting connections between said lever and at least one of said rods associated with the high and low ratio gear pairs.

17. In a control mechanism for change speed transmissions, the combination with a transmission comprising driving, driven and counter shafts, a plurality of pairs of change speed gears connecting the driven and counter shafts, and two pairs of gears of relatively high and low ratio connecting the driving and counter shafts, of means for selectively rendering operative any pair of the change speed gears in combination with either the relatively high or relatively low ratio pair, said means comprising a plurality of shift rods operatively associated with said gears, and simultaneously movable in pairs in like or opposite directions, one of said rods being associated with the high and low ratio gear pairs and the others being associated with the change speed gears, a single operating lever, selective direct motion transmitting connections between said lever and the shift rods associated With the change speed gears, and selective direct and reversing motion transmitting connections between said lever and the shift'rod for the high and low ratio gear pairs.

In witness of the foregoing I affix my signature.

CHARLES GOTTA. 

